Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr advanced his investigation into NPR and PBS running “prohibited” commercials.
Carr ordered an investigation in early January into the taxpayer-funded NPR and PBS, believing the nonprofits are running commercials that they are barred from airing.
“I am concerned that NPR and PBS broadcasts could be violating federal law by airing commercials,” Carr wrote at the time. “In particular, it is possible that NPR and PBS member stations are broadcasting underwriting announcements that cross the line into prohibited commercial advertisements.”
Public broadcasting stations are prohibited from running commercials, and instead they often air corporate underwriting spots, which cannot issue a “call to action” to urge listeners to purchase a product or service.
An FCC source said, at the end of last week, the agency sent out 15 letters of inquiry, two to NPR and PBS, and 13 letters to their affiliates, seeking to know more about their advertising and prospective underwriting practices.
Some of these stations include WETA, the Washington, DC, PBS station, WAMU, the American University NPR local affiliate in the D.C. area, and WNYC, a New York City NPR affiliate in the Big Apple.
“For my own part, I do not see a reason why Congress should continue sending taxpayer dollars to NPR and PBS given the changes in the media marketplace,” Carr continued.
This is not the only inquiry the FCC has taken since Carr has led the telecommunications regulatory agency.
In late February, the FCC opened a probe into Verizon’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices. He had previously opened an inquiry into Comcast’s DEI practices.
“In order to aid the FCC’s resolution of these matters, please reach out to the agency personnel that have been working on Verizon’s pending transactions at the FCC,” Carr wrote.
Carr has described these sort of DEI practices as “invidious forms of discrimination” that could be in violation of “FCC regulations and civil rights laws.”
Sean Moran is a policy reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on X @SeanMoran3.
Sean Moran is a policy reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on X @SeanMoran3.
Sean Moran is a policy reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on X @SeanMoran3.
The post FCC’s Brendan Carr Advances Investigation into NPR, PBS Running ‘Prohibited’ Ads appeared first on Breitbart.
